Enemy of the State (1998)
Director: Tony Scott Cast: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Jack Black, Jake Busey, Gabriel Byrne, Scott Caan, Loren Dean Screenplay: David Marconi, Aaron Sorkin, Henry Bean, Tony Gilroy Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer Runtime: 128 min. US Distribution: Touchstone Rated R: language, violence
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer employs a lot of big-name directors to make his films, but all of his movies have a similar feel: they're all fast-paced, featuring quick-cuts and lots of close-ups. The last few, including Armageddon, Con Air, and The Rock, are all huge, loud, and enormously expensive films that not only do their job as action pictures, but manage to have a little bit of substance behind the flash. And though Bruckheimer is obviously a man who wants to make money, it's refreshing to see a producer at least marginally interested in putting out quality entertainment for audiences.
Directed by Tony Scott, Enemy of the State is a fast-paced action film that has all of the elements I described above: true, it is primarily an action film, but it's not excessively violent, and it actually has scenes that develop the characters. By the end, you don't feel like you've watched a two-hour chase sequence featuring cardboard cutouts. In fact, Enemy of the State is one of the more plausible action films to come around in a while, for it adds an element that we are all familiar with -- fear of our government.
Lawyer Robert Dean (Will Smith) didn't have any particular fear of the government. However, one day, as he's shopping for his wife (Regina King), he's confronted by an old friend of his (Jason Lee) who has just been chased by a bunch of NSA officials. Just before getting killed, Dean's friend sticks a digital video into Dean's shopping bags (while Dean isn't looking). Dean, unaware that he is the possessor of a video that features the murder of a high-powered political official, is suddenly being targeted by NSA officials as a conspirator.
It's your typical wrong-man plot, with a few interesting twists and a lot of good acting. For a lot of the film, Dean has no idea that he did, in fact, have what the NSA wanted. Everyone thinks he's playing dumb, when, in reality, he just has no idea what's going on. It turns out that the politician who gets killed in the video is opposed to a national security bill that will limit the privacy of Americans; interestingly enough, Enemy of the State does a good job bringing out this theme of paranoia, and ends up one of the more thoughtful action films to come along this year.
I've always thought Scott was a good director, and here he shows a lot of style and a real flair for fast-paced action. There are a lot of technical details in the film, and a lot of shots of satellites hovering above the earth; and while much of the information reeks of BS, an acceptable amount of it is believable. The overhead shots of a chase sequence that takes place on the roof of an apartment building are spectacular; Scott uses a lot of strange, off-putting camera angles, and the result is a swift movie that almost never slows down.
The acting is terrific; Will Smith is a very good performer, and makes a great everyman in this role. He's likable and funny, and screams lines like, "I don't know what you're talking about!" with ease. Also great is Gene Hackman, who plays an ex-NSA member who ends up helping Dean. King, as the wife, is pretty darn good, as is Lisa Bonet as an ex-lover of Dean's (both women have surprisingly good roles for an action film). Jon Voight, as the evil politician behind everything, sneers very well, but manages to add a level of depth vacant from most action film bad guys. There are a lot of good actors in small roles, including Jason Robards, Gabriel Byrne, and Stuart Wilson.
Enemy of the State is several steps above standard action fare, because of top-rate work in both production and acting. It's not a perfect action movie; there might be one chase too many, and there aren't as many laughs as I was expecting from a film starring Will Smith. In addition, the final shootout doesn't live up to the rest of the film. But these are minor issues; this picture succeeds not only because of Scott's tight, take-no-prisoners direction, but because of a smart script that has both characters and theme. I was entertained by Enemy of the State, but I was also prompted to consider its claims: how much control does the government actually have over us? It's nice to know that a big producer like Jerry Bruckheimer has learned that it's possible to make a lot of money with a movie of high quality; let's just hope that he continues to provide first-rate entertainment like this.
>From 0-10: 7
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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